I Will Stand and Fight
by queenelsa121
Summary: Katherine participates in a Women's Rights convention and discovers a spark inside her. (Entry for Newsies Pape Selling Competition).


**A/N: Written for the Newsies Pape Selling Competition**

 **Musical Version**

 **Task #3: Write about a newsie promoting some kind of freedom**

 **Prompts used: (Advocacy) Women's rights, (Sentence) "** **There were people all about, and it was hard to tell if they were a part of the crowd (he/she-insert character's pronouns) was in or not; if not for what they carried in their hands.", (Character) Katherine Plumber**

 **Word Count: 1216**

"There were people all about, and it was hard to tell if they were part of a crowd I was in or not; if not for what they carried in their hands." Katherine was doing it. After all the endurance she went through she was finally speaking for women's rights. She knew this would be a completely different world to step in than the newsie strike but she realized she learned one thing that changed her life during the strike. That no change will ever happen if no one is there to step up and speak out for it. It may seem really scary for her but after the courage and confidence she found in herself she was ready to confront everyone about women's rights.

"It felt strange me being in that crowd of newsies seeing them celebrate and I knew what it was. A spark. A spark I never knew was in me ignited.I know I'm a woman. I know there are people who laugh and mock me for what I'm doing but I assure you I'm not the only one. I'm not the only one that wants to fight for what I believe in. But I have seen horrors no one wants to see. I have faced abuse and misuse of power from one's stronger than me and what did I do before. I just cowered in fear and let them take control of me."

Katherine started to break into tears. She tried to hold it in as she was venturing into a private and dark topic. She wanted this speech to be perfect. Jack and the newsies helped her prepare for her big day at the Women's Trade Union League of New York. Even though she wasn't a middle or working class woman she still wanted to fight for the cause. She still wanted to have her say in women's rights.

"Just last week I told my father I wanted my old job back as I begged him many times to let me become a reporter again but he refused. He just raged and yelled at me at my past mistakes I made and how I made him and my family look like fools. But who's the fool now. How am I a fool for wanting to fight for what I believe in. I participated in the newsie strike! I have seen horrors of little boys being beaten and caged up just over for unfair treatment! I have seen what the refuge has done to those boys! And I don't want the same thing to happen to us women!"

All the women in the crowd started to get riled up in this story as Katherine let her emotions get the best of her. She just hoped that the bulls wouldn't be here to break it up. She's heard about the things they would make a woman do if they caught her practicing women's rights. "I didn't come here to start a war. I didn't come here to even participate in one but with the unfair treatment that us women have been receiving makes me want to step away from the sidelines and join the front line. The treatment that us women have been receiving is no different than the treatment the newsies have been receiving. Just because we're women doesn't mean we're weak or we can't do a certain thing such as voting." The atmosphere got more intense when she mentioned voting.

Voting was one thing Katherine wanted to do but she was always berated by her father that a woman isn't allowed to vote and will never be able to. "My father will always tell me that a woman has no capability or mindset to vote. My father would always berate me for even thinking that a woman would ever be able to vote. He would tell me that what a woman is good for is taking care of the children and house while the man is away at work. He tells me this because he knows that we have power. He and other men like him knows that women are twice as powerful as men. We are the Joan of Arc of this society and this is a battle and a cause worth fighting for." The crowd stirred up interest in this speech and started to shout for their rights.

As soon as Katherine was about to say another word the secret convention was interrupted. Her fear came true. The bulls barged in tackling every women and trying to catch one of them and detain them. Katherine ran as fast as she could away from the ruckus. She tried to find an exit but out of all the chaos and destruction she started to lose hope. The worst happened when a bull caught her and detained her in a wagon where some of the other women have been captured. She didn't know where they were taking her but it can't be worse than the pain she felt in her heart. She thought to herself.

" _How could I? How can I endanger all these women? Because of my words? Because of me?"_

She knows it wasn't her fault but she can't stop thinking like that.

"That was a very nice speech you made. It was very inspirational." One woman across from her said. "Thank you… I'm sorry. I'm sorry to all of you. I'm sorry for the speech and for my words. I didn't know it would come to this." she cried. All the women in the wagon kept comforting her, telling her it's not her fault. She didn't want it to come down to this. She just wished she was with the newsies. With Jack. She wanted to be in his embrace and feel the warmth of his hands stroking her hair.

But she realized what Jack would tell her. He would tell her to keep on trying and never give up. He would've given her that same speech that she gave to him when he quit the strike. He realized that was only the battle and she was part of it. She started to feel that spark again in her except stronger and burning more brighter. She looked up at the women around her. She knew she's involved with this now. She's involved with the fight. "I said I didn't want to participate in a war but that's changed. What I experienced was a battle. We may have lost the battle but we still have a war to finish. And I will not back down. I will stay here. I will stand and fight with you."

She really felt like Joan of Arc this time. Even though she's being dragged off to a prison she'll get out and she'll keep on fighting. She thought this spark was calling her but it turned out it was inside of her all along.


End file.
